DIY

Guest Master Bedroom – Before and After

Have you ever seen before and afters that seemed too expensive to duplicate? I have. Too often we look at what others do and decide we could never do it ourselves and hire contractors like www.skilledhomerenovations.ca. It only took 3 1/2 years, but we finally did it.   And we did it within our budget, in our own time, in our own way. You can too. What room do you want to flip? Our green carpeted gold sponge painted master bedroom is finally a hotel quality guest room. This was the original master bedroom, but we decided to keep it for guests. We took the other side of the top level and plan to renovate it into a master suite – some day.   We kept the green carpet for quite a while because of the expense of new, but we did at least paint the walls before we moved … Read more

Hobby Lobby Hack – or so I thought!

I thought I was going to do a candle holder Hobby Lobby hack… I’ve been admiring a few pieces of decor in a friend’s house and finally asked if I could do some hacks on her home decor. Check out a picture of my friend’s candle holder – I thought it was from Hobby Lobby but when I asked if I could do a (afflink) Hobby Lobby Hack of her candle holder, she told me it was her own DIY project!  I was surprised (not because she I didn’t think she had it in her, but because it was so Hobby Lobby-ish).   I actually had looked around (afflink) Hobby Lobby to see if I could find it in the store to see how expensive it was so I could do a cost comparison of “Store vs. DIY!” Here is her candle holder Hobby Lobby look alike: This is what … Read more

Hoarder's Renovated Home {Love My DIY Home}

Before and After House Flip – A Look at the Hoarding Disorder

A House Flip You Never Know What is on the Inside Looking at a home from the outside can be very deceiving – just like the outside of a person often doesn’t reveal what is inside of their heart. The flaws will remain anonymous. Join me for a look at a hoarder disorder as seen through the eyes of their family. Definition of Hoarding from Mayo Clinic: “Hoarding disorder is a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them. A person with hoarding disorder experiences distress at the thought of getting rid of the items. Excessive accumulation of items, regardless of actual value, occurs.   Hoarding often creates such cramped living conditions that homes may be filled to capacity, with only narrow pathways winding through stacks of clutter. Some people also collect animals, keeping dozens or hundreds of pets in unsanitary conditions because … Read more

An Apothecary Cabinet Flip – A Fresh Start

January’s Fab Furniture Flippin Contest – A Fresh Start On a trip with my DH to Door County we found this great little shop with several interesting pieces just screaming to be loved on. The prices were decent but we only had room in our van to take home two pieces. The first was a one piece china cabinet and the other a little dresser that had never been cared for – raw wood with dinky sad little knobs. It reminded me of an apothecary cabinet. I went back and forth trying to decide what color to choose – because I just had to paint it! Since General Finishes sponsored the Fab Furniture Flippin Contest again this month and donated a quart of their new chalk style paint to finish the piece, all I had to do was decide on a color. Some may shudder at the thought of painting … Read more

10 DIY Projects to Upcycle Old Picture Frames + A FREE Printable!

We downsized recently and have 4 boxes of old picture frames filled with my kid’s pictures. I don’t have much wall space in this new house, so I needed to figure out what to do with all the frames. Boxes and boxes of frames… Not only am I a Mom of Many; I am also a photographer. 15 8×10 frames of school pictures on one wall from my old house… various framed candids, family pictures, sports pictures, baby pictures etc. all over the other walls. That’s a lot of frames! After a bit of research online I have come up with some fab ideas to share with you. Actually I did this for me, but you are free to join the party. I encourage you to click on each original source to see the ones with tutorials and if you pin any projects, please do it from the original source … Read more

Antique Night Stand Re-do

What’s hiding in your basement? A couple of years ago I gave our daughter, Jillian, a night stand that had been a family heirloom from my husband Mark’s aunt, Aunt Emily. She had painted it white, but wasn’t happy with the results. I had a 2 1/2 week stay in Virginia with Jillian where we spent a week decorating her living room/dining room at her new place. This is one of the pieces we hauled out of her basement to try to salvage.   Newly married, in school, and on a tight budget, this had to be another “use what you have to save money but it’s gotta look good” project – right up my alley! Spray paint is an easy and cheap fix. The dark stain shows right through and the paint peeled right off where it had bubbled. We honestly didn’t know if we could fix it, but … Read more

From Trash to Treasure – Update old brass decor, don’t toss it!

I told you about the cast off treasures I got from a friend in my first From Trash to Treasure post here. Here are brass pieces that NO ONE wants.   After painting the brass finishes with my dark walnut satin Rust-Oleum spraypaint, I decided to mix and match the parts to make new pieces.  Brass decor isn’t very popular these days, but there is no reason we can’t update. When I painted this one, (pic above) the paint didn’t settle in the grooves, giving it dimension. (It’s OK to go ahead and think I planned this.)      I put the painted brass on my kitchen island to dry in the warm kitchen (negative 10 degrees in my garage where I painted it).  Each time I passed by them, I thought about how they would look once I put them together.  I don’t wait very patiently for my projects to … Read more

DIY Chunky Photo Frame – Re-purpose Old Picture Frames Part 3

I have picture frames up the wazoo! Seriously, I must have more than three or four dozen wood frames packed in boxes… In the garage, In the basement, In my craft closet, In my blanket chest… Nope. There aren’t any blankets in it. Just picture frames. Some day I will paint that blanket chest with chalk paint and actually use it for blankets. When you raise 15 kids like we did and tote a camera around with you 24/7, your house easily turns into a virtual scrapbook. Now we are empty nesters (yay for us!) and have downsized. So I have to justify keeping all my frames and not just “Give them all away to Goodwill to be rid of them.” (That solution was courtesy of my DH.) I’ve been on a mission to justify my frame hoarding and have come up with some re-purposing DIY projects. I’m in process … Read more

Simple DIY Christmas Decorations {Love My DIY Home}

5 Simple DIY Christmas Decoration Projects for December

  Making your own holiday decorations is a great way to deck the halls with friends and family. There’s no need to waste money on store bought goods when similar and oftentimes superior products can be crafted in the comfort of your own home. Getting the family together to create holiday decorations creates a sense of togetherness, and the beautiful end result speaks for itself. If you love Christmas and DIY crafts, the following holiday project ideas are sure to satisfy your creative urges. Wrapping in Style Photo by PermaCultured via Flickr When we think about Christmas decorations, the first thing that comes to mind is usually the tree, but what about the gifts? Wrapping gifts with style turns your presents into an extra decoration in your home. Functional decorations such as this blur the line between holiday tradition and aesthetic, adding a whole new dimension to your decor. A … Read more

Holiday Crate x10 Challenge {Love My DIY Home}

Christmas DIY Wood Crate Challenge

We were challenged to take a plain wood crate and make it Christmas festive. I bought three and plan to use them under my Christmas tree. BEFORE Box and Snowflakes First I spray painted the inside with Rustoleum’s Painter’s Touch 2x Ivory Bisque. Large wood snow flakes at Hobby Lobby were perfect for an accent. I spray painted them the same ivory bisque as the box interior and then sprinkled silver glitter on it to give it some pinache and then hung it on a nail on the box. It took a bit because it was 10 degrees outside and since I paint out on my front lawn, it was interesting to say the least. I painted a bit, brought it in to dry and took it out for more paint an hour later. After a dozen ins and outs, I finally got it painted. Anyone free to come clean out … Read more

Love My DIY Home